Road to Redemption
by HydeLuver
Summary: After a meteoric rise in fame, Beck questions whether all the sacrifices were worth it, especially his relationship with Tori. Bori One-Shot (potential sequel being considered).
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do _not _own Victorious or any of its characters.**

**Author's Note:****I got the impulse to write a quick story as a way to get my mind off school related things for a bit and since I haven't written a Victorious story in a while, I figured I should do one.  
**

Beck sits at the edge of the hill overlooking the huge, lighted city. From his spot, it all seems miniscule. Every building, every person, every stage is just a tiny, insignificant speck that don't affect him. He looks across to the huge, block letters at a short distance and scoffs at them. Hollywood. How many things and people has he had to sacrifice to be a part of the superficiality of it all. A few years ago he never would have imagined that his dreams would be fulfilled at such rapid speed and yet, he has nothing to show for it. Besides the material things, there is nothing filling about his success.

He lays back against the moist grass and closes his eyes. He tries to think about the last time he was happy, truly happy, and for some reason it takes too long to figure it out. How long has it been? A month maybe two...perhaps more.

He slowly opens his eyes, still not having remembered his last moment of happiness. Looking up at the starless sky, he sighs and reaches for his phone which is laying just a few inches away from it. He pushes a key and the bright light of the screen illuminates his face. Nothing else comes of it, though. No missed calls or unread text messages. Just a screen staring back at him, offering no signs of happiness or redemption.

He starts looking through his contacts, in the hopes of stumbling upon a name he can call, a person who might hear him out and reassure him that everything will be just fine. He rolls his eyes and cringes at the sight of names that don't mean anything to him, of people who would not pick up or would and tell him off in a second. Names like Jade West and André Harris, whose friendships he betrayed to become a famous actor. Shame fills him as recalls the last encounter he had with them. Two people who had been there for him for years, he just tossed aside to make room for his dreams and for what? to sit miserably atop a hill, wanting a silent companion who will just sit beside him.

He continues scrolling until he reaches the last name. Tori Vega. The highlighted name of his ex-girlfriend makes his stomach drop. It's been almost a year since he last spoke to her and he's sure she wants nothing to do with him, not after how things ended between them.

_Flashback:_

Tori stands across the room, her arms folded across her chest and tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Tori, please. We've been through this before, it isn't the first time I have to leave for a bit."

"A bit? This isn't a bit Beck, it's three months."

"It will go by faster than either of us realize, I promise" he tells her from his spot on the couch. He looks away from her and starts skimming the script in front of him. After a dry spell, he finally got a role that will help him get the kind of career he wants. To work with an A-list director in a big budget film is all he's ever wanted.

"No it won't and you know that. Did you even consider us before you just signed up to do this movie?" she asks, her voice cracking.

"Of course I did Tori!" he says as he looks back up at her.

"No you didn't Beck. You didn't even ask me. You just come in today and tell me you're leaving for three months without even so much as asking me what I thought about it."

"I thought you would be happy for me" Beck says, his anger rising. He gets off the couch and stands across from her.

"Of course I am, but I some acknowledgment would have been nice. I'm in this relationship too. What am I supposed to do while you're gone? Just sit around and wait?"

"I'm not asking you to do that?" Beck replies.

"So what then?"

"Whatever you want Tori, do whatever you want" he answers. His chest is heaving slightly and his eyes are focusing on her.

Tori gasps and shakes her head. "I guess I don't have to make you choose between me and your career. The answer is pretty clear isn't?"

"Tori, I didn'-" he starts but she cuts him off.

"You did. That's your choice so I'm going to get out of your way."

He watches as she wipes hes eyes dry and heads to the bedroom they have shared for the past three years. He wants to go after her and tell her that she misunderstood and make everything okay but he can't. His feet won't leave their spot and his mind keeps telling him that he's making the right decision, to let her go.

He's still standing in that spot a few minutes later when she comes out of the room with a small suitcase in her hand.

"I'll come back for the rest of my things tomorrow" she says. He can tell she is trying hard not to cry, but her quivering lips show him how hurt she is.

He nods his head. No verbal reply or an attempt to stop her, just a noncommittal nod.

Tori shakes her head once more and turns towards the door. She reaches for the knob and hesitates and for a split second, he is hopeful that she has changed her mind. However, the feeling quickly dissipates as she opens the door and instantly closes it behind her.

Beck stares at the door wide-eyed, unbelieving of what just happened. Unbeknownst to him, this was the first in a long list of relationships he would sacrifice on his road to stardom.

_End of Flashback_

The memory of that night still makes him recoil in disgust. Having chosen his career over his relationship with Tori is something he has paid for ever since and though he's wanted to, he doesn't know how to make amends to her.

Beck sits back up and looks across at the shimmering lights of the city and then back at her name on his phone. He presses the call button and holds his breath as it begins to ring.

**Author's Note #2: This might be a cliffhanger, still undecided if I want to continue it or let your imaginations decide where things will go from here with Beck. Hope you enjoyed it and hopefully I will hear from a few of you. Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Beck holds his breath as the other line starts ringing. He debates silently whether he should hang up if she were to answer. Surely, he should have planned this better. If she were to answer, what would he say? I'm sorry for hurting you, please give me another chance? There is no way she would hear him out. He should just hang up and try to make the best of what is to come. It rings a few more times and as he is about to press 'end call,' her voice comes through in the form of a voice mail message.

His breath hitches as the machine says "this is Tori Vega. I'm unable to answer your call now. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can." The sound of her voice after so long is mesmerizing and he can not believe how much he has missed it. A long beep follows the melodic voice and he remains quite. He stares out into the lighted city before him and feels an overwhelming feeling unlike any he's felt before. How did he get here? Sitting alone in the middle of the night, completely unhappy with his life and unsure of how to fix things. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

"Tori...it's Beck," he starts and he feels his grasp on the cell phone tightening a bit. "I'm sorry. Please call me" he says before hanging up. His grasp does not ease up and he stares at the screen until it goes black again and all he can see is the blurry lights of the city beyond. He does not actually expect her to call, not after the way he hurt her, but just leaving that message has lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. This could be the first step he takes towards gaining some control over his life.

He presses a button on his phone once again and sees that it is nearing midnight. Beck looks up once again at the seemingly small buildings and roads just straight ahead and he smirks. He extends his right arm in front of him and closes his hands, as though he can take hold of everything that lies ahead and manipulate it. He can have everything at the palm of his hands and have things go his way. He looks at his fist and after a few seconds, opens it again. Just like that, he loses control again and reality sinks in. He can not have his way so easily, not after all the damage he's caused.

Beck lowers his head and thrusts his hands into his pockets before making his way back down the hill. During the twenty or so minutes it takes for him to reach the bottom of the hill, he thinks about the day he told Tori how he felt about her. It had taken so much out of him to finally be upfront with her and admit his feelings, and it had caught him off guard when his feelings were reciprocated.

_Flashback_

He places the heavy box at the far corner of the apartment and looks around, making a quick count of the boxes already there. Thirteen all together make up the perimeter of his new apartment in Hollywood. He smiles and feels a sense of accomplishment. He finally has a place to call his own, a place bigger than an RV in his parents backyard. Now, he can come and go as he pleases without having to answer to anyone. This is his first step towards adulthood and luckily, he has a few roles lined up that will ensure his financial stability for a while.

Before he can continue his thoughts, the front door opens and Tori strolls in carrying a big box.

"A little help here" she says as she struggles to get the box through the narrow door.

Beck rushes towards the door and takes the box from her.

"Thanks" she says as she follows suit. "I think there are about three more in the truck" she states as she takes in the sight of all fourteen boxes now surrounding them.

Beck nods his head and sets the box down. "It's fine, I can go down and get those later," he tells her. "Come, sit" he says while motioning to a single chair a few feet from where he stands.

Tori smiles and nods her head. She makes her way towards the chair and slowly sits on it. "This place is nice" she says as she takes in every little detail she can.

"Thanks" he responds, "and thank you for helping me move. I know the boxes were pretty heavy and I asked André but he had a gig or something."

"Hey, I volunteered to help you out. What are friends for after all?" she asks and laughs.

"Right. Well, I really appreciate it Tor" Beck says.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, both taking quick inventory of the number of boxes in the apartment and imagining what the space might look like after he unpacks his belongings.

"Hey, come here. I want to show you something" Beck suddenly tells Tori. She looks up at him and smiles again when he extends his hands towards her to help her off the chair.

She appreciatively takes his hand and lets him lead her towards his bedroom. As he turns the doorknob and pushes the door open, she becomes a bit apprehensive about what he might want to show her. It is no secret to anyone how much she cares about him. In fact, all of their mutual friends kid around with her in regards to her feelings for Beck. The only person who seems oblivious to these feelings is him. Not that she would complain about that. The more oblivious he remains, the less likely he is to reject her if he does not feel the same way.

Beck leads her into the bedroom and towards a small dresser on the right side. Once there, he let's go of her hand and pulls out a vinyl record from a drawer. He holds it up for her to see and she lets out a soft laugh when she sees the Elton John record. For months, she had searched for this particular record and had not been lucky enough to find it anywhere.

"I thought we could listen to it together" he says.

"In celebration of your new home" she tells him and he simply nods his head.

Beck turns and places the vinyl on the small record player sitting on the bedside table beside the dresser. The needle goes down and after a few short seconds of silence, the room is filled with a beautiful melody and _Your Song _starts playing.

"I love this song" Tori exclaims and slowly starts to sway from side to side.

Beck watches as her body moves to the rhythm of the song and her eyes close. She starts to sing along to the words and a sudden force draws him towards her. Before he knows it, he is standing mere centimeters from her. He brings his hands down and rests them on her hips. Tori's eyes flutter open and her lips part slightly.

"What are you doing?" she whispers.

Beck stares into her eyes and sees that they are glazed over with passion. Without waiting for permission, he lowers his head and brings his lips to hers. As his mouth comes in contact with hers, his heart starts beating faster. Suddenly, she lifts her hands and places them behind his neck. There, she pulls his head closer to hers to deepen the kiss. As they become more enthralled with each other, Beck leads her towards the dresser, not once breaking the kiss. He lifts her up and she finds herself sitting on the edge of his dresser, urgently seeking to get closer to him. After several minutes, he hesitantly breaks away.

He smiles when he sees her confused look. "I've been waiting to do that for a long time" he tells her.

Instantly, she breaks into laughter and nods her head. "Me too" she replies.

"Really?" he asks surprised.

"I can't believe you never figured it out" she tells him as she regains her composure.

"Figured what out?" he asks.

"Beck, I've liked you since the moment I kissed you in Sikowitz class" she tells him. Tori lifts her hand and brushes a loose strand of his hair away from his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Beck asks.

"Well, you weren't exactly available and your girlfriend was scary" she says and smirks.

Beck laughs and nods. "Jade is a little scary huh?"

Tori nods her head. "A little is putting it mildly."

Beck's expression becomes more serious and he looks down at his hands which are now intertwined with Tori's. He looks back up at her and smiles. Tori smiles back at him and lowers her lips to meet his once again.

_End of Flashback_

As the night wind picks up, Beck grabs hold of the zipper on his jacket and starts bringing it up when he feels a sudden vibration coming from his left pocket. He reaches into it and pulls out his phone.

_Incoming Call: Tori Vega_

His eyes open wide and a whirlwind of thoughts invade his mind. She's calling...she actually called him back.

His hands start shaking as he moves his fingers to press the 'talk' button.

"Hello..."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello?" Beck repeats himself. He hears faint whispering coming from the other line but can not make out the words. He presses the phone harder against his ears in an attempt to decipher the mumbling, but nothing. He remains silent on the line, awaiting for someone to finally speak to him. After several seconds, he hears a louder whisper, this time directed towards him.

"Beck" he hears the person say and he can't make out who the voice belong, but it is definitely not Tori which instantly disappoints him.

"Who is this?" Beck asks the caller. He doesn't get an answer back immediately as the person seems to be talking to someone else. More whispering. Beck becomes frustrated and asks for the caller's identity again.

"It's André" the person says.

It surprises Beck that he couldn't place the voice to his former best friend, then he remembers that it's been over a year since they have spoken. Beck lets that reality sink in. After such a long time, even the voices of people who meant the most to him have become unfamiliar. Once that thought vanishes, it dawns on Beck that André must be with Tori if he is calling from her phone and he can't help but get a bit jealous, though he knows he has no right to be. Not after how he treated them.

"Oh" is all he can muster to say.

"Don't call her again" André says suddenly. Beck's disappointment is instantly replaced with shock and then anger. Who the hell is André to tell him not to call Tori?

"André, stay out of it and just put Tori on" he answers, his disdain clear from his tone.

"She does not want to speak to you" André replies.

"Then I want to hear that from her."

"She doesn't owe you anything, not after what happened. You made a choice when you let her go, now you have to live with it."

"I told you to stay out of it. What happened was between me and Tori and if she wants to tell me off, fine I have no problem with it, but let her be the one to do it."

"Like I said, she doesn't want to speak to you" André says.

"God damn it André" Beck starts to yell into the phone when he hears a brief beeping sound. He looks at the phone screen and sees that the call was ended. "Fuck" he says out loud.

He presses a few buttons and dials Tori's number again. It rings a few times before going to voicemail. Again, he redials and again he sits through the ringing only to hear the voicemail message.

Beck waits a few minutes before dialing the number again. This time, much to his disappointment, it doesn't even ring. Instead, the sound of Tori's voice fills his ears immediately. "This is Tori Vega. I'm unable to answer your call right now. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can." A beep follows which almost makes Beck want to hang up the phone. Instead he takes a deep breath and decides that if she won't speak to him, she can at least hear him out, even if it's on a voicemail.

"Tori...I know you don't want to speak to me, and I don't blame you. I wouldn't speak to me either after what I did. I know you probably don't want to hear this and it might be too late on my part, but I want to say that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for choosing my career over you and causing you pain. It was never my intention to do so. I know you don't owe me anything and I don't have a right to ask for your forgiveness, but I hope you might one day forgive me. I hope you give me the chance to redeem myself. I hope you're well."

Beck presses the 'end call' button and waits for his screen to turn black once again. He looks behind him to where the hill gets steeper and the trail rockier. Though he did not get the result he was hoping for with the phone call, he took the first step towards feeling better about his choices and he can only hope that with time, all the burdens that have weighed him down for a year will be lifted.

**Author's Note: I decided to end the story here. I never intended for it to be longer than one chapter but then I felt that it was a bit incomplete. I also never planned on having this be a happy ending for Beck, as you can see, because it would be too easy for Tori and his friends to accept him back into their life. I do, however, leave you with some hope that he will get to where he wants to be somewhere down the road. **

**Thanks to all who read and those who took the time to review. Until next time. **


End file.
